1. Field of the Invention
The strong influence of propellant mixing on liquid propellant gun interior ballistics has been recognized and studied. A measuring technique to determine the degree of mixing has been developed and indicates that gun performance can be varied from misfires through normal burns to detonation simply by varying the severity of the injection. This knowledge has underscored the need for better control of the injection process in the liquid propellant gun technology.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In present bi-propellant liquid propellant guns, the displacement of the valves during injection of the fuel and oxidizer into the chamber of the gun barrel is determined by the force equilibrium between propellant and holding pressures. This method leaves the valves vulnerable to influence from O-ring friction, bolt nose side loads, trapped air, and oscillatory propellant and holding pressures. The valves do not repeat the same displacement-time history from injection-to-injection, thereby resulting in non-reproducible propellant mixing. Control of all variables affecting internal ballistics is important if consistant results are to be obtained.